The World Bank Group has appointed Mariama Cire Sylla as the Joint Resident Representative for Namibia, effective 1 October 2024.
This is a newly created role that will provide a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of World Bank Group products and services.
The position is designed to streamline access to the institution’s full range of products and services, enhancing its ability to tackle global challenges and drive development in Namibia with greater speed and efficiency.
“This newly created position provides a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of World Bank Group products and services and will enhance the institution’s ability to address global challenges, and drive development with speed, efficiency, and impact,” the World Bank said.
In her new role, Sylla will work with Namibian partners to strengthen the country’s development across key sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy and housing.
“Namibia is a country brimming with potential and offers excellent development opportunities across sectors including agriculture, renewable energy and housing,” she said.
Sylla, a Guinean national, holds advanced degrees from the University of Oxford, Williams College, and the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.
She co-authored the 2014 book Better Led, Served and Governed World – Envisioning the Future. With over 18 years of experience in trade, commercial strategy, private sector development, and finance, Sylla has worked across Africa, Europe and the USA.
Since joining the World Bank Group in 2014, she has led initiatives promoting private sector growth and job creation in Africa. She previously served as IFC’s Country Head for Burundi and coordinated programmes for fragile states in the Sahel and West Africa.
The World Bank Group’s approach in Namibia is part of a broader initiative to streamline leadership across 21 offices globally.
This transition is expected to bolster the institution’s ability to deliver more effective, inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.
